Boys: A Look at the Non-Public Finals, Group IV Semi

We’ll have a live chat on Wednesday at 8 p.m. to discuss everything from Tuesday.

If you can’t make it out to TCNJ, you can follow all the action on Tuesday evening at twitter.com/Joshua_Newman. Hopefully, I’ll get a periodic update or two from Steve Falk, who will be at Toms River North-Toms River South in a Group IV semifinal.

CBA: The Colts have won four overall state titles and are 4-9 all-time in the Non-Public A final….This is their ninth state final in 12 years and their third in the last four years….The Colts fell to Pingry in the 2006 final before getting beaten by this same Seton Hall Prep team in 2008.

Seton Hall Prep: That win in 2007 stands as the program’s only state title as it is 1-3 all-time in state finals….Their only two losses this season are to Montclair on Oct. 8 and West Orange in overtime on Oct. 21….The tie came against Millburn in the Essex County Tournament final on Oct. 24,,,,In this state tournament, SHP has defeated North Jersey and state powers Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep to get to this point.

CBA is a little more battled tested in my estimation, having gone through the Class A North gauntlet, but as stated above, Seton Hall Prep has played giant killer with wins over Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep. It’s regular season also included wins over Montclair and two over Millburn. CBA will need to slow down junior forward Hayden Harr, who leads SHP in scoring with 45 points (14g, 17a). I think you can expect whichever team scores first to pack it and try and turn it into a defensive struggle. I don’t know if SHP goalie Casey DeFluri is a product of an awesome defense, but a 0.59 GAA and 10 shutouts look pretty nasty on paper. It pains me, but we’re going with North Jersey on this one. THE PICK: Seton Hall Prep 2-1Non-Public B Final: St. Rose (19-3) vs. Gill St. Bernard’s (16-7), 8 p.m. at TCNJ

St. Rose: Looking for their ninth state title, the Purple Roses are 8-6-1 all-time in state finals….They are 4-6-1 all-time in the Non-Public B title game and last won a title when it shared the crown with Morris Catholic in 2002….St. Rose three straight finals in 2003, 2004 and 2005, all to that Morris Catholic juggernaut from earlier this decade….The 2002 co-title aside, St. Rose last won a state title outright in 1988.

Gill St. Bernard’s: Coming off a 1-0 overtime win last Thursday over Montclair Kimberley to claim Non-Public North B, this is its second straight and second ever trip to a state final….It fell to Sacred Heart, which St. Rose beat to win Non-Public South A this season, 1-0 in last season’s Non-Public B final.

Nothing that I have read or heard from anyone leads me to believe that Gill St. Bernard’s can win this game. St. Rose has a long history of appearances on the state’s biggest stage, while Gill St. Bernard’s has very little. Gill St. Bernard’s will look to bring a physical brand of soccer, but it has yet to see a high-octane offense in the mold of St. Rose yet. Led by Dylan Marx, Chris Hueth and Ian Culley, the Purple Roses will probably look to push the issue. This game is the exact reason why St. Rose head coach Tim McInerney schedules teams like CBA, Wall and Ocean. That ambitious scheduling is about to pay off for McInerney and his team. THE PICK: St. Rose 2-1.

Group IV semifinal: Toms River North (16-2-2) vs. Toms River South (15-5-1), 7 p.m. at Memorial Field, Neptune

Winners of 13 of 15, Toms River South is without question the hottest team still standing, while having replaced Marlboro as the Cardiac Kids. The Indians won their first two state playoff games with three and 21 seconds remaining respectively. They followed that with an overtime win over Toms River East and then a 3-2 overtime win over Lenape after falling behind 2-0. Toms River North has handed its crosstown rival two of its five losses this season, 2-1 and 3-1. The Mariners have established themselves as one of, if not the best, defensive team in the Shore Conference. There is an old adage that it’s tough to beat a team three times in one season. Well, I never really was much for that. TRN head coach Dave Mitchell proclaimed in the preseason that his goal was to win everything in sight. They fell short in the SCT, but won Class A South and a sectional title and are now two games from winning Group IV. I’m not much for the talk, but those were some pretty big words Mitchell let fly back in August and his team is real close to fulfilling that goal of winning (almost) everything. THE PICK: Toms River North 2-1

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About Josh Newman

Josh Newman has worked for the Press since September 2004, covering a variety of high school beats in addition to college sports and the New York Jets. A 2004 graduate of Springfield College, he is currently the beat reporter for Monmouth University.

2 Responses to Boys: A Look at the Non-Public Finals, Group IV Semi

CBA lost 1-0… i felt that cba played the better game but couldn’t finish. Great game by both teams, unfortunate result for CBA.

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Sherlon ChristieSherlon Christie is a sports reporter at the Asbury Park Press. He joined the APP in the fall of 2004. He grew up in Massachusetts, has a BA in Journalism from Northeastern University's School of Journalism. He is also the secretary of the National Association of Black Journalists.E-mail Sherlon